Shadows
by Marigold.Waters
Summary: Lily Logan has lived her life worry free, until one night. A figure, ominous and evil, appears in her room, tormenting her. With the help of her parents, will Lily be able to defeat the darkness, or will it consume her? Parings: BBRAE
1. Chapter 1

Wowie! So this is my first story (Hooray \\(^o^)/!) and I'm a bit nervous about posting this since I've literally _never _shared a story on an platform. Comments are definitely welcome and appreciated. Also, I've made this story because I've always wanted to see a situation like this but I've never seen anyone actually write it so...here goes nothing I guess. I hope you enjoy!

*****Both Garfield and Raven belong to the DC Universe and Teen Titans franchise (I don't own Teen Titans.)

** Chapter 1**

_'Please, go away.' she begged_

_"Your fate is set in stone." When would he leave? When would someone help her?_

_"Let the darkness consume you." Lily gripped her ears tightly, feeling her nails peirce her skin. He was getting closer, too close. Lily could feel each eye staring at her, daring her to come out from under the covers._

_'Please leave me alone.' She couldn't tell where in her room the stranger was, but she was begging him to end this tormenting. One minute he was in her ear, the next he was above her. Sometimes, if luck was truly against her, he would get in her head. Her tears were getting bigger. If he realized he was getting to her, he'd come more often, only to get a kick out of her distress._

_"Trigon will find you, Lily."_

_'No.'_

_"He'll make you kill all your friends and family."_

_'No he won't!' This needed to end._

_"Your mother, your father, your-"_

"Stop!"

An overbearing sense of anguish jolted the empath awake. Briskly ripping herself away from her sleeping husband, Raven ran down the hall and straight into her daughter's bedroom.

"What?" she yelled. "What is it?!" Raven quickly flipped the switch, but saw nothing. Lily emerged from her covers, panic-stricken and doused in sweat. The dishevelled seven year old looked around the room, searching for a body to match the voice she heard earlier. However, her books and dolls were in perfect condition, having not moved since the last time she played with them.

"Someone was here!" Lily cried as giant tears raced down her cheeks and her hiccups became more aggressive. Raven made her way to Lily's bed, pulling her into a tight hug in an attempt to calm down the frantic child. Lily grasped her mother, digging her face and hands into the pajama shirt, refusing to let go of the soft, comforting fabric. Her snot and tears trailing down Raven's shirt, soaking it in fright. After a few minutes of soothing words and back rubs, the seven year old's tears ceased, but the fear did not.

The morning came for the Logan household, seeping through the windows, invading each corner with light. The smell of breakfast wafted through each room, prompting the young girl to wake up. Lily leisurely opened her eyes, allowing the chirping of the birds to assuage her nerves. Upon noticing her mother's absence, Lily lifted herself out of the bed, feeling the cold air graze her skin. Not caring much about her hair or overall appearance, Lily made her way to the kitchen, letting the aroma of freshly made waffles guide her. She saw her mother and father, talking under their breath at the kitchen table while her brother ate on his booster seat. Not wanting to interrupt them, she listened and watched behind the door, hiding from the view of her mother and hopefully the nose of her father. The look of worry and trepidation on her mother's face immediately caught her eyes, along with unclenching and clenching of her father's fist.

"How can we be sure this isn't the first time he's tried to contact her?" her mother murmured, perturbed by last night's events. "What if he's trying to use her as some sort of new portal? What if-"

"Rae, we defeated Trigon a decade ago. We watched you destroy him, remember? And how are you so certain it was him anyways?" Her father answered. Trigon? The person in her room said the name 'Trigon' last night. Lily leaned in more, itching to hear the rest of their conversation. "How can he be back if we watched him disintegrate into thin air? And maybe it wasn't Trigon! Maybe Lily was just having a bad nightmare." Her father whispered and waved his hands nonchalantly, his doubt bothering Raven.

"Something was with her, Garfield," Raven said, her voice growing in volume, "She looked like she was going to have a panic attack! I had the same look on my face when I was a child and Trigon invaded my dreams! She was hyperventilating and shaking and all I could do was stand there and-"  
"Trigon is dead!" Garfield slammed his fist on the table in frustration, startling Raven which in turn made the lights flicker. The fulminating sound caused Lily to trip and let out an 'eep!' while her brother began to cry. Upon seeing Lily, Garfield switched his focus back to breakfast and Raven went to check on their youngest child.

"Good morning, sunshine!" Garfield gave Lily a tight smile, one that didn't reach his eyes. "You want some breakfast? I made us some vegetarian waffles and scrambled tofu. There's also apple juice in the fridge if you want it." Lily hugged her father.

"I'd like two waffles, please!" She smiled.

"Two waffles comin' right up!" Garfield retrieved the quick bread from the waffle maker machine, and plated the syrup drenched waffles on Lily's favorite animal plate, just how his daughter liked them.

Lily's mouth watered from eyeing the drowning waffles, "Thank you, Daddy!"

"You're welcome, m'lady." Her father did a quick, goofy bow eliciting a laugh from his daughter. While eating, Lily glanced over at her mom who was failing miserably at calming down her brother.

"Shhh, shhh," she cooed, "it's okay, I'm here." Raven bounced her two year old son up and down. Theo, her brother, was known for being sensitive to most things. Lights turning on too fast, sounds being too loud, anything fun on Lily's list was an automatic 'no-no'. He, unlike Lily, was still in the unknown regarding his abilities. Lily, much like her mother, had the power of telekinesis and telepathy. She could lift many things, albeit not big objects. Though, unlike her mother, both Lily and her brother possessed kelly green skin, lighter than her father but nowhere near the grey of her mom. Lily's hair was a lovely sacramento green, and her brother's was the same. Despite the age gap, the two could easily be considered twins. Garfield went to Raven, holding out his hands to their son.

"Hey there, lil' buddy. Don't worry about it Rae, I'll handle him," he said. A sigh of relief escaped Raven's mouth as she gingerly handed Theo to her husband.

Stretching out her limbs and letting out a yawn, she said, "Thank you." Raven locked eyes with her daughter, who quickly turned her head away from embarrassment. Her mother sauntered over to the counter, sitting adjacent to Lily.

"Good morning, honey. How do you feel?" she asked. Lily knew her mother did not need to ask to know the emotions of others, but to give each member of her family a bit more privacy, Raven learned to suppress the urge to read thoughts.

"I'm alright," Lily responded, a hint of embarrassment in her voice, "thank you for staying in my room." Raven smoothed her daughter's dark, unruly locks, and placed a tender kiss on her temples.

"Would you mind telling me what happened? What you heard or saw?"

Lily glanced at her mother, then at her breakfast, and then at her hands. She lifted her pointer finger to bite off a loose piece of skin, a nasty habit she had picked up many years ago. Normally, her mom would remove Lily's hand from her mouth, reprimanding her for mutilating her hands. But this time, there was no scolding, only a look of patience. Finally, when her finger had enough peeling, Lily hesitantly answered.

"Um, well, sometimes I can't sleep." Lily fidgeted in her seat.

"Mhmm."

"And sometimes I really don't want to go to bed."

"Why not?" Raven probed, hoping to get some type of answer.

"I don't really want to talk about it." She got up to put her plate in the sink, cleaning up after herself like her parents always reminded her to. Without looking back, Lily joined her father and brother on the couch, watching as her father blew raspberries on Theo's plump cheeks. This left a concerned Raven all alone at the counter, bothered by her daughter's sudden change in mood.

Hope you'll stay for the next chapter :). Please review/ leave a comment!

*If I mentioned anything that's actually real, it's not mine (like any product).

-MW 3


	2. Chapter 2

Last chapter I had no idea how to add in scene breaks, but now I do so \\(^0^)/ (Things should make more sense)! Also I'm not sure what my upload schedule will look like (with school starting), but I'll try to upload as often as I can!

*****Both Garfield and Raven belong to the DC Comics universe/ Teen Titans franchise (I don't own Teen Titans). I also don't own any real product that might've been mentioned in this story (like a doll brand or something).

Enjoy!

**Chapter 2 **

School was starting in an hour, and Lily was certain she did not want to go. She glanced at her closet, deciding if she would get dressed or not. _'Hmm,' _she thought to herself, _'Mommy is gonna make me go today even if I start to cry, and Daddy will ask Mommy what she thinks, which will also be a no.' _Lily scratched her head out of frustration. _'Maybe if I beg Daddy not to ask Mommy then maybe he'll say yes on his own? But then Mommy will see that I'm still at home...What if-'_ Her thoughts were interrupted by a knock at her door. Garfield poked his head through the open gap.

"Hey honey, it's me," he smiled, "How would you like staying home today? We can have a three day weekend, if that's okay with you?"

"Yes!" she exclaimed, jumping up and down from excitement. Suddenly, as if hit by a boulder of reality, Lily stopped rejoicing. "What about Mommy? She's not gonna like that I'm missing a day…" she frowned, waiting for her dad to take back his proposal.

"Actually, it was Mom's idea for you to stay home today," he smirked, "you might want to thank her when you get the chance."

She shouted, "Thank you, Mommy!" Garfield chortled at his exuberant daughter.

* * *

Lily absolutely adored her baby brother. In her eyes, Theo was a living doll, someone she could dress up in her clothes at any time. Sometimes, when her parents were not looking, Lily would hastily put one of her old dresses over Theo's head and clothes, testing to see if he was just as cute in any outfit. Although, most of the time Theo would cry, which would immediately ruin the fun. Lily went down the stairs, carrying different dresses varying in sizes, sure that her parents would allow dressing up Theo on her day off. Upon entering the living room, Lily noticed her mother, staring at Theo as he played with his toy cars.

"Vroom, vroom!" He said excitedly, eyes lighting up as his toy car sped across the rug, leaving marks in its trail. Lily sat next to her mother and watched in silence, chuckling occasionally whenever Theo would crash his cars.

Shaking her mom's leg to get her attention, Lily asked, "Hey Mommy, what powers do you think Theo will have?" The question came out of the blue, but Raven understood why it was asked. Raven's eyes stayed fixated on her son.

"I don't know" she answered honestly, wanting just as badly as her daughter to know what type of ability Theo would have, "I just hope... he doesn't get mine."

"I hope he gets Daddy's, too." Raven looked at Lily.

"Do you not like your powers?" Raven asked, her monotonous voice hiding the hurt.

"Sometimes I think my powers don't like me." She responded, wondering if her comment made sense. She continued. "Last night, I think my powers really disliked me. I really heard someone talking to me, I swear! But when you came in, he stopped! That means it must've been my head trying to mess with me, but why would it do that? Why would it say those mean things about me?" She asked, on the verge of tears.

"What did he say?" Raven asked. Lily's body began to quiver, the same way it did last night.

"Um," she slowly answered, "he said 'Let the darkness consume you.', but I don't know what that means. Then he said someone's name? But I can't really remember what it was. The person last night said that the other bad person is going to make me do awful things." She was starting to tear up. "H-he said I was going to-to hurt my family and other people. And I _promise_ you, Mommy, I would never, _ever_ do that! I don't wanna be a bad person! I'm nota bad person!" Lily was sobbing now. Loud, uncontrolled gasps for air took over as Lily squeezed her mom.

"Lily, sweetie, I have a question," The mother looked down at her weeping child who mumbled a quiet 'okay' into Raven's chest. "The name you heard last night...was it Trigon?" At the sound of that name, Lily began to weep, convulsing from the sudden crying and gripping her mother for protection. Raven wrapped her arms around her daughter tightly, inwardly making a promise that nothing would ever harm her.

* * *

"I'm back with vegetarian ice-cream!" Garfield shouted as he entered through the front door, an enormous smile plastered on his face. "I bought rainbow sprinkles!" He yelled, trying to coax a squeal of excitement from any of his family members. Hearing nothing but silence, he set the groceries on the table and followed his nose to the scent of his wife. The trail led him to their room, the door slightly ajar with whispers coming from the inside. Garfield peeked through the door and saw Raven, sitting next to a sleeping Lily, rubbing circles into her back. Raven murmured incoherent words, calming syllables and sounds unknown to his ears. Her sentences were continually spoken, but with each time more fervor was laced around the words.

"Raven," Garfield quietly spoke, not wanting to completely ruin her chanting. "Raven, I'm back from the store…" he said a bit louder. "I got vegetarian ice-cream and a small, strawberry ice cream for you. I also got the kids rainbow-" Garfield heard a gasp and stopped talking.

Raven looked at him with startled eyes, trying to compose herself, "Sorry, I didn't realize you were here," she simpered at him, embarrassed from being caught off guard. Garfield sat down next to Raven on the bed and looked at his daughter's peaceful, sleeping form.

"What were you doing just now?" He asked, genuinely confused as to what was happening.

"I was praying for protection" she explained, "Lily had another breakdown while you were gone and refused to sleep in her room, so I brought her here. While in Azarath, the Monks taught me how to pray to Azar. They told me prayers work when powers are too weak to make a difference." She solemnly replied.

"A prayer for protection? Is this about what happened last night? Raven, look, I get you're worried, but she was probably just having a bad nightmare. She _is_ seven, that's around the time I started getting nightmares."  
"Gar, while you were gone, Lily shared some things with me, some...unsettling things. She told me that whatever was in her room was saying terrible things to her. That _thing_ in her room was telling Lily she was going to hurt us. She said the person mentioned a name but she couldn't remember what the name was, so I asked. I asked her if the name was Trigon. Garfield, I swear, the second she heard his name she broke down. She had that same look on her face from last night, and I know she wouldn't lie about something like this. She's never even heard of him!" Garfield stared at Raven for what seemed to be an eternity.

"Let's step outside so she can have some peace," he quietly said, moving to kiss Lily on the cheek and follow Raven out the door. Once in the hall, Garfield began, "So, what you're telling me is that Trigon isn't dead?"  
"I'm not sure."

"Well you think he's communicating with our daughter?"

"I don't know."

"Then how the hell are we supposed to figure this out?!"

"I don't know!" Raven whisper-shouted, causing some framed pictures to shake, "We both watched my father die. We _all_ watched him die! If this isn't Trigon, then it has to be someone affiliated with him, but who would join forces with him?" she pondered.

"Slade. Did we ever really watch him die?" Garfield asked, worry in his tone. Raven eyed her companion, thinking hard about his question.

"I don't remember. We just stopped hearing from him after my birthday, I don't remember defeating him." Garfield thought long and hard about her statement before an idea formed.

"How about this, we sleep with Lily in her room tonight and try to see if anyone shows up. We can maybe do this for a couple of nights and go back and forth between who sleeps in there and on what days. We can call it a sleepover so it won't feel like an operation," He said. The idea was not completely terrible.

"Okay, let's do that tonight," Raven said, looking back at the closed bedroom door. Garfield exhaled a sigh of frustration, but immediately perked up afterwards.

"I'll get Theo and make bowls of ice cream for you guys. Hopefully that'll lighten the mood." Garfield chuckled.

Lily's nap had been a good one, she always preferred her parent's bed over her own. Upon waking up, she saw her mother at the foot of the bed, giving her a tiny smile.

"Did you sleep well?" she asked, truly waiting for her response.

"It was good,' Lily replied, "I had a weird dream I was dancing with dogs." she scratched her head in contemplation.

Raven smiled, "Your father is back from the store and he bought ice cream. Your bowl will be there when you're ready to come down." Raven was barely able to finish her sentence before Lily was out the door, stumbling on her way and barely dodging the corners.

* * *

The sun had begun to set, and the two Logan children had become weary. Theo, after only having one bowl, could not seem to muster up the energy to lift his spoon, instead opting to drink the ice cream from the dish. Lily laughed at her brother's antics, watching as he dipped his face in the bowl like a dog. Theo, realizing the amusement he was causing, dug his face deeper in the bowl, shaking his head and moving the bowl around in a joking manner. The bowl, tired of the aggressive playtime and too close to the edge of the table, fell onto the floor, releasing the sticky substance with a loud 'clank!'. The unexpected noise immediately caught the attention of the adults in the room who made their way over to inspect the scene.

"What? How did the ice cream get on the floor? I thought Theo was past the 'throwing food on the ground' stage. And how did it get all over his face?" Garfield quizzically asked, holding in a laugh to not condone bad behavior. Garfield looked at his daughter who was currently guffawing and could not help but smile at her happiness.

Raven sighed while picking up her mischief-making son, "Lily," she eyed her daughter, " you should have known better than to let your brother put his entire face in ice cream. Funny or not, it made a mess." she frowned. "I'm going to take Theo upstairs and give him a bath," Raven grimaced, holding Theo away from herself. "I think this trait of his came from your side of the family," she looked at her husband and lightly teased. As Raven and Theo made their way up the stairs, Garfield approached his daughter who had not completely stopped giggling.

"Help me clean this up," he said, which she nodded in agreement. The clean-up took less than five minutes, with the laughing of both family members making the process go by faster. Once they were finished, Garfield sat in the newly cleaned chair. "Lily, I am aware of the troubles you've been having lately, and I want you to know that your mom and I are going to do everything that we can to make sure you don't feel that fear ever again." he explained, receiving a small 'Okay.' from his daughter. He continued, "So, how about if we had a sleepover in your room tonight? We can play with your dolls and tell stories, if you'd like! Your mom can sleep with you in your bed and I'll get a sleeping bag." To Lily, the idea of having a slumber party with her parents sounded exciting, except for one thing.

"But what if he shows up again?" she inquired, "I don't want him to be mean to you guys too." A downcast look gracing her features once again. Garfield lifted Lily's chin, forcing her to look at him.

"If anyone comes in your room, we will be there to protect you. No one is going to harm anyone tonight," he earnestly said, giving his daughter direct eye contact.

She looked at him, "You promise?"

"I promise." Garfield gave his child a tight hug, relishing the fact that Lily squeezed his body hard too. "Okay! Let's get this slumber party started!" he declared, picking up his daughter bridal style and heading up the stairs.

* * *

Thank you for reading this chapter! Please leave a review/comment if you feel like it! See ya soon!

-MW


	3. Chapter 3

Hi! Long time no see, am I right? Being consistent with posting has proven itself to be more difficult than I had first imagined! Anyways, school started and it has been hard to find enough time to sit down and work on hobbies... I'll try to upload as often as I can!

*****Both Garfield and Raven belong to the DC Comics universe/ Teen Titans franchise (I don't own Teen Titans). I also don't own any real product that might've been mentioned in this story (like a doll brand or something).

Enjoy!

**Chapter 3 **

Garfield sat in Lily's bedroom, listening intently as his daughter shared the names of all of her dolls.

"This one is Janis, this one is Lucy, and this one is Pepper, although," she whispered, pointing to one doll separated from the group, "Pepper doesn't like Grace. That's why she's over there." Garfield moved to pick up the isolated doll when his wife walked into the room. Raven, attired in pajamas and smelling of vanilla, sat next to her family members on the floor, her hair freshly damp from a shower.

"Okay," she said, while straightening her shorts, "I put Theo to bed. He should be asleep right about now." Garfield made a wolf-whistle sound and winked at his wife, making his daughter smile.  
"Lookin' good in those pjs Rae-Rae," he wiggled his eyebrows.

"Gar, I've had this t-shirt for almost a decade now," she deadpanned, but could not control the slightly rosy tint on her cheeks.

"I know, still looks good on you though," Garfield smiled. Lily loved seeing her father tease her mother. Garfield did this occasionally; his main goal was to make Raven blush.

Raven hastily changed the subject, "What did I interrupt here?" she said, glancing at the myriad of dolls scattered across the carpet. "And when did you get so many dolls?"

She answered nonchalantly, "Auntie Star always gets them for my birthday. Daddy and I were about to play with them. Here, you can have Christy," Lily said, shoving the blonde doll in Raven's hand, making her mother feel slightly uncomfortable. Quietly, Raven exchanged the blonde doll for the brunette, not acknowledging Garfield's eyes on her. "I'll take this doll instead," she concluded.

Lily shrugged, "Okay, her name is Pepper. Now, Daddy, you'll be Chad, Mommy will be Pepper, and I'll be Lucy. You have to wait over there for a minute because Lucy has to help Pepper get ready for her date with Chad."

* * *

The trio had been playing dolls for about an hour when Lily let out a yawn.

"Are you getting tired?" Raven asked, "Maybe we should finish this tomorrow."

"No!" both father and daughter chorused. Garfield had, surprisingly, found himself enjoying the impromptu doll drama.

"It's getting late and you have to go to school tomorrow," Raven looked at Lily before she began to clean up all of the toys.

"What? Mommy, no! Can't we play a few more games? Or maybe have a tea party or make some cookies or-"

"Lily, it's time for bed." Raven said, finality in her statement.

"But I don't-"  
Raven crouched down and put a hand on her daughter's shoulder, "Lily, it's time for bed. You're going to get a good night's sleep tonight because this time Mommy and Daddy are here with you. I don't want you to focus on anything else other than sleeping, do you understand?" Lily obediently nodded her head. Satisfied, Raven retrieved some blankets out of Lily's closet, one being placed for the bed and one for the sleeping bag.

Lily, confused, asked, "What are these for?"

"You know how Mommy has those black powers?" Garfield explained, "Well, she's going to cast a spell on your room and Theo's room that should last for awhile. However, the one that's being placed in your room we can actually see and feel, so it might get a little cold in here. The spell will take a lot of energy out of your mom. I'll probably get up early so she can get some sleep, " Lily understood and waited in anticipation, only having seen the full capability of her mother's powers a handful of times.

"Is everyone ready for bed?" Raven asked, hearing 'yes's and 'yep's from her family members. Raven gave Garfield a quick kiss and made her way back to Lily's twin bed, wrapping her arms around her child.

"Goodnight, Mommy. Goodnight, Daddy."

"Goodnight, lovebug."

"Goodnight, Lily." After a few minutes of waiting, Raven turned off the lights with her powers and casted the spell. "Azarath, Metrion, Zinthos," she whispered, releasing a wave of protective energy around Lily's room, covering every corner and every crevice. Eventually, all of the furniture and objects were covered in a black aura, making the temperature drop slightly. Although dark, the energy was tranquil and the room was completely silent. Lily peeked from under her blanket and looked in awe at the abilities of her mother, not in the slightest bit scared. Eventually, she fell into a peaceful slumber, never letting go of the arms wrapped around her.

* * *

Raven, who had almost passed out from pure exhaustion, had called for her sleeping husband to take her shift, switching with him so she could finally get some rest. The morning came quickly and quietly. Garfield, who had been awake for quite some time, stretched his limbs. Drowsy from lack of sleep, Garfield lazily made his way over to Lily's sleeping form. He lightly shook Lily, trying his hardest not to disturb his wife.

"Lily," he murmured, "it's time to get up. School starts in an hour." Lily contorted her face and slowly turned away from the sound of her father. Garfield, who had interacted with this version of his daughter on numerous occasions, sighed. Slowly, he moved the covers off of Lily, removed her from her mother, and placed her standing up on the carpet. Lily's body slumped as it tried to regain it's sleeping state, but Garfield had been there to catch it.

"I know you're still sleepy but you gotta wake up," he ruffled her hair, "It seems like you slept pretty good. I think your lack of sleep really caught up with you," he quietly laughed, noticing how Lily could not synchronize her blinks.

She rubbed her eyes, "I didn't hear anything last night."

"I told you there was nothing to worry about! And you want to know something? I didn't hear anything either," he reassured her. "Now, Mommy already put together your clothes for today. I'll be downstairs packing your lunch while you start getting dressed. Do you think you'll need any help?"

She smiled, placing her hands on her hips, "No. I'm seven now, Daddy. I don't need any help."

"If you say so," he said, ignoring the pang of sadness, "I'll be downstairs if you need me," It had only taken fifteen minutes for Lily to get ready for school. The seven year old examined the outfit her mother picked out and nodded her head, satisfied with the light blue shirt and blue jean shorts. Although she proclaimed her maturity, Lily had half-brushed her teeth and put her hair in two lopsided ponytails with a bow on only one. Once her look was complete, Lily grabbed her backpack and made her way to the kitchen. '_Oh! Almost forgot!'_ she thought. Quickly and quietly, Lily approached her sleeping mother. She placed a light kiss on her cheek, trying her best not to wake her up.

"I'm ready!" Lily said as she entered the kitchen.

* * *

New Years Resolution: WRITE! See you guys later (hopefully)!

-MW


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4 **

The distance from Mount Zoran private school and the Logan household was about a twenty minute drive. Although both Garfield and Raven were known around the country for their work in the Teen Titans and dedicated service to all civilians, it had been extremely difficult for the new parents to enroll their child into school, a private school at that. Many of the previous schools feared the young Logan's developing abilities, and deemed them "potentially unstable", which irked Raven to no end.

Mount Zoran was the sixth school Garfield and Raven talked to, and the first to actually inquire about meeting Lily. At age five, when Lily first went to visit, a kind lady had shown her family around. They were told that Lily would be the only student attending with supernatural abilities, therefore for the first few months she would have to be paired with Ms. Katy, the supervisor. With all of the trouble her parents had gone through, this was, by far, the least of their worries. The lady informed Raven and Garfield that once Lily was comfortably assimilated into the school, Ms. Katy would allow her to become as independent as a five year old could be, and she had been ever since.

Lily waited patiently as her father unclasped the car seat buckle. Garfield placed Lily on her feet and kneeled down to her level. "Lily," he said, squeezing her hand, "if at any moment today you start to feel or hear bad things, I want you to immediately find Ms. Katy. Ask her to call either me or Mommy so that we can talk to you, okay?" Lily nodded in agreement. "Good. Love ya', sweetie. Today is gonna be a great day!" He grinned, showing his shiny, white fang. After a tight hug, Garfield finally let his daughter go. Lily quickly waved goodbye and gave a small, bashful smile.

* * *

It had been three hours, only three hours, before things unraveled. Lily raised her hand to ask to use the bathroom. Although Jane, her hall buddy, was not in class today, the young Logan was confident in her ability to make it to and from the bathroom safely.

"Make sure to take a hall pass on your way out." Her teacher nonchalantly added on.

"Okay." Lily said while grabbing the lanyard. Minutes later and she was almost done using the bathroom. Lily walked to the sink and put soap in the palms of her hands, lathering both her hands and wrists.

"_Lily"_

She continued to look at the soap, forcing her mind to focus on the task at hand. She could still feel his presence.

"_I know you hear me, child. You can't make me go away."_

Lily tightly closed her eyes, scrubbing harder on her hands.

"_Soon Trigon will come. You are the new portal, and you will cause more destruction than any natural disaster." _

"Leave me alone." Lily rinsed her hands and started speed walking out of the girls' bathroom; unfortunately, the distance from the bathroom to her class seemed to be miles.

"_Do you think the people around you are safe, Lily? You put them in danger. Your friends fear you. Your family will abandon you. Do what must be done." _

"Stop talking to me." She was running now. Her heart was racing as she put her hands over her ears. However, she could still hear the words crystal clear.

"_Destroy them!" _

"Stop it!" She screeched, causing all of the classroom doors in the hallway to fly open with intense force. "Stop it, stop it, stop it!" she screamed, fear coursing through her body. Somehow, she had ended up sobbing on the floor, too frightened to move from her spot. Teachers ran into the hall and huddled over the terrified girl, baffled and unsure of what to do.

"Get the principle," she heard one of them say.

"Isn't she the Titan's child?" asked another.

Lily desperately wanted them to go away and instead be replaced with her mother or father. She remembered what she was told to do.

"I want Ms. Katy!" she demanded, not liking the scared looks on the faces of the teachers and students.

It was not long before she was in the backseat of her mother's car, silently watching as the trees went by. Ms. Katy had quickly come to the scene after hearing of her request. She, unlike some of the teachers, deeply cared for Lily, and was trusted by both Raven and Garfield. Once in the comfort of her office, Ms. Katy tried to calm Lily down, but her attempts were futile. Even after being given a blanket and a lollipop, the second grader could not and would not stop shaking. Lily cried, "I want to go home!" numerous times before Ms. Katy called her mother. When Raven arrived, she did not ask for an explanation and already assumed what had transpired. She thanked Ms. Katy for contacting her, retrieved Lily's backpack and lunchbox from the office, and led her weeping child to the car while carrying Theo in the other arm.

Raven was the first to break the silence. "Did you hear someone again?" she asked.

Lily nodded.

"Was it the same person before?"

Lily nodded.

"Did you see what the person looked like?"

Her head shook "no".

"I...I'm sorry that this is happening to you, Lily. It isn't fair," Lily noticed her mother's shiny eyes and watched as she bit her lip, a habit she had to stop herself from crying.

* * *

The car ride had been long and quiet, with an occasional sniffle being heard from the backseat. Once at home, Lily went straight to the television and Raven emptied her lunchbox, only to see the food and snacks still in perfect condition. Raven sighed as she walked to the pantry, knowing full and well that her daughter was famished. Eventually, a vegetarian grilled cheese was prepared, the practically charred bread adding character to the simple meal. Raven brought the plate to Lily and sat with her on the couch. She watched as her daughter nibbled on the crust of the bread.

"Do you want anything else? I can get you some chips or an apple…"

Lily's eyes stayed glued to the cartoon. "No, thanks," she said.

"How do you feel?"

Lily thought for a moment, "Well, I am kinda tired. My knee hurts a little bit. I think I might've bruised it when I fell in the hall," she frowned while rubbing the sore spot. Raven placed her hand on Lily's small one, encasing her entire limb in a soothing blue aura.

"Lily," Raven said after the bruise was completely healed, "I want you to start meditating with me,"

Lily cocked her head, "Meditating? Is that what you did when you would lock the door to your room and Daddy would tell me not to bother you?" she asked. Little did her parents know, Lily did have distinct memories of her mother's bedroom door being locked for hours upon hours. She always wondered if Raven was hungry, tired, or maybe even a bit bored in there.

Raven internally cringed at how poorly she balanced mindfulness and motherhood, "Yes, exactly. When I was in my room, I worked on being in complete control of my powers so I could show more emotions. Meditating not only tamed my abilities but also controlled my thoughts. If you master meditation, it'll help you ignore whatever you're hearing until your father and I figure out who or what this voice is," Lily nodded. "First, let's pick a room to start. Is there a particular place where you feel the most comfortable?"

Lily thought about the question. Yes, she loved every part of her house, but what area did she treasure the most? Her room, while it was pretty to look at, could get cold quickly and was scary when quiet. Theo's room was too small and was constantly littered with toddler objects and stuffed animals. The living room was meant for watching movies and playing games with her dad. However, her parent's room was where she felt the most at ease. The familiar smell of vanilla and lavender, mixed with a subtle smell of pine comforted her as she thought of her mother's dusty bookshelf and her father's stacked comic books. Knowing that all of her greatest fears and worries would disappear when lying between her parents was also a soothing thought.

"Can we meditate in your room?" Lily asked.

Raven smiled, "Sure."

* * *

It took four failed attempts to finally get a seven year old to concentrate. Either a giggle, a complaint of boredom, or a distant cry from Theo would interrupt the pair. Not to mention it was also difficult for Lily to get into a comfortable sitting position, but in the end she chose to copy her mother. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Lily began to concentrate. Neither Lily nor her mother knew if she possessed the ability to levitate, so Raven opted to stay on the bed.

In a calm, quiet voice, Raven spoke, "Alright Lily, do you know my special words?"

"Azarath, Metrion, Zinthos?" Lily peeked one eye open to see Raven's nod of approval.

"Yep. I want you to forget about everything happening around you and focus on those three words…"

"Okay."

"Azarath, Metrion, Zinthos," the two chanted. Truth be told, it had been a while since Raven last meditated. The empath felt after years and years of meditation, she had finally reached a level of control with her powers. After Lily was born, Raven decided only showing 50% of her emotions, even if Garfield constantly reassured her otherwise, would not suffice in the long run. She wanted to be able to show more love and affection to her family members, to smile when they made her proud, or cry tears of happiness when they reached milestones. For the first four years of Lily's life, Raven did nothing but meditate and research spells in her books, which, in hindsight, might have been counterproductive. It was when Lily showed her hand drawn family portrait to her family that Raven knew she had meditated enough. Raven had started crying and didn't realize it until Garfield asked if she was okay. Lily, being startled by her mother's quiet sobbing, had asked if she did something wrong.

"No," Raven replied with a small smile, "you didn't do anything wrong. Mommy just really loves your drawing." Lily beamed and engulfed her mother in a hug, the tightest one she had ever received.

Around an hour had passed, and the empath took pleasure in the peace found in meditation.

"Azarath, Metrion, Zinthos," she whispered. Oddly enough, Raven had started sweating. 'Did I leave the heat on?' she momentarily thought. It was then that Raven realized that she had never turned the heat on, and she couldn't move. Flames engulfed her bedroom, raging wildly around every corner and crevice. The chains surrounding Raven were strong and thick. Raven looked to her right to see that Lily was still there. Her face, however, was devoid of any emotion and her posture unnaturally rigid. Lily's normally vibrant eyes were glassy and dark, seemingly filled with unshed tears. It was then that Raven sensed the presence of more...beings. She followed Lily's line of vision to see three men, each ginormous in height with a pair of glowing red eyes. The men shared dull, red skin with long, black ponytails that looked as coarse as rope.

Without uttering a single word, the middle man abruptly lifted a hand that glowed with dark energy. Lily's stiff body was snatched towards the trio.

"Don't you dare touch her!" Raven screamed as she felt the pain of her eyes splitting into four.

"_Hmm," the man in the middle inspected the child, craning his neck as he examined every inch of her, "I think she'll do." _

_The man to the right smiled, "How proud he would be if he saw us now."_

"_We will feel his pride soon," the middle man carelessly dropped Lily to the ground. Two of the men disappeared into the flames, leaving the third to only watch Raven's futile attempts to move. Staring dangerously into her eyes, the third man approached Raven and grabbed her chin. _

"_Keep her plump for us, will you, Sister?" he asked. Slowly, he turned around and walked away, leaving the flames to engulf Lily's body. _

"NO!" Raven screeched. The flames had disappeared, instead replaced with the soft feel of the sun and the breeze from an open window. Her room was in perfect condition. Raven gasped for air as she frantically searched for her daughter. The search was short-lived being that Lily was slumped over, fast asleep. Immediately, Raven ran to Theo's room. His sleeping form assuaged her rising anxiety.

* * *

Thanks for getting this far in my angsty story! Please leave a review if you have the time:)

-MW


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5 **

"I'm going to Azarath."

Garfield blinked, "What?"

"I need to speak to Arella," she clarified. They both talked in whispers as Lily slept soundly in their bed. Raven continued to pack her bag while Garfield stood in disbelief. The last time Raven traveled to Azarath was to announce the engagement to her green teammate.

"Let's think about this first. I don't get off work early enough to pick up Lily after school, and I definitely can't take Theo to the clinic with me."

His wife frowned, "Why not?"

Garfield sighed and raked his fingers through his hair. Raven was incredibly intelligent, but her naivety in some Earthly customs occasionally made appearances. "It's not super professional to have my son in the procedure room with me while I'm tending to wounded animals." Raven tried to form a rebuttal, but Garfield had one last point to make. "Plus, Lily needs both of us here right now."

Raven paused her packing. She pondered her future decisions.

"I'd rather we all go together than you go by yourself," he concluded. Garfield had only been to Azarath once, but he could never forget the palatial buildings that gleamed in the sun or how the indigo cloaked citizens tried not to stare as the empath and green man walked down the street hand in hand.

Raven thought about the shock she would cause her mother if she brought her entire family. She had informed Arella about Lily's birth via letter but had never updated her on the birth of Theo, let alone her second pregnancy. Would she accept being a grandmother of two? Would she ignore them like she had ignored her own child? Even so, Arella did need to know about her expanded family.

"Okay. We'll leave tomorrow afternoon," she moved to the door, "I'll pack Lily's bag. Can you pack Theo's?"

"Sure thing! Let me just leave a message for the clinic. I'll tell them it's a family emergency."

* * *

Lily stood dumbfounded.

"We're going to see Grandma Arella?"

Garfield nodded, "We're leaving in a few hours, so double check that Mommy packed all you might want to bring."

"Okay!" she shrieked.

Truthfully, Lily did not know much about her maternal grandmother or why she never came to visit. Rita, whom Lily affectionately nicknamed 'Nana', visited her grandchildren on every holiday and birthday, which was much appreciated by Garfield and Raven. The children at Mount Zoran would come back from holiday breaks reminiscing on the moments of receiving gifts from both sets of grandparents, and Lily couldn't help but feel a slight pang of jealousy.

As Lily approached her fully packed suitcase, she made note of the few dolls she wanted to bring. Maybe while she was there, she could show her grandmother all her trinkets and toys.

There was a knock at the door. It was her mother.

"Breakfast is ready. The faster you eat, the faster we can get to leaving," Raven said.

Dolls forgotten, Lily followed her nose to the smell of fresh bread and syrup.

* * *

Noon came quickly. All four Logans had their bags packed and ready to go for travel. It did not take long for Lily and her brother to gobble down homemade waffles, but Theo misplacing his favorite stuffed animal did set the family back a bit. Nonetheless, the time had come for the Logans to travel to Azarath.

"Okay, time to go!" Garfield announced.

Excitedly, Lily ran to the garage door, ready to start the trip to her grandmother. However, none of her other family members were near the garage entrance like she was.

"Lily, we're leaving in the backyard," she heard her father shout. Didn't her parents know the car was in the garage? Lily saw her mother, father, and brother standing in the backyard. Theo was deep in sleep and situated on Raven's chest. Lily could not help but address her confusion.

"Um," she tugged on her father's sleeve, "why are we leaving in the backyard? I'm pretty sure the car is in the garage..." Garfield momentarily chuckled, seemingly realizing something all at once.

"We can't get to Grandma in the car, she lives too far away. Mom's going to use her magic to help us get there faster," he explained. A gust of wind quickly flew through Lily's hair, sending chills down her body. Lily shivered as she watched the doorway her mother conjured grow until it was a bit larger than her father. Looking into the portal, Lily saw nothing but whimsical swirls of black and white magic.

"Hold on to your father's hand. Don't let it go at any moment, alright? This shouldn't take longer than a minute," Raven reassured her. It was not hard for an empath to detect her daughter's rising apprehension. Lily nodded her head and squeezed her eyes shut while Garfield guided her into the portal.

* * *

Almost thirty seconds had passed until they had arrived in Azarath. Even though Lily could not see her father, she could still feel his presence and decided to use both hands to hang on to him. The portal was calming and proved itself to be not as unsettling as Lily had briefly believed.

Raven let out a sigh of relief seeing that all her family members were there and intact. "We're here," she announced. Theo had woken up some time during the traveling and looked around at his surroundings with wide eyes. "I informed Arella on our visit and what time we'll be there. We should get going."

Garfield smiled fondly, "Azarath is as pretty as I remember."

Lily looked in awe at her mother's homeland. Although they had arrived on the outskirts of Azarath, she could see the skyscrapers gleaming under the sun, making the land seem like it was covered in a golden hue. As they walked into the shining city, Lily tried not to stare at the cloaked strangers; however, they had no issue observing her family. Most looked at her and her brother, and Lily couldn't help but feel out of place under their scrutinizing glances. Raven, on the other hand, moved confidently through the streets, neither fazed nor perturbed by the people around her.

"Arella's child is back," murmured a civilian, "She and the green one have children now."

"Indeed," whispered the other.

"She has changed."

The cloaked stranger nodded, "Indeed."

* * *

Arella was not the grandmother that Lily expected her to be. Upon their arrival, the group was not greeted with multiple warm hugs, but with a simple "Hello." accompanied with a small smile. Arella looked like Raven, but her skin resembled that of some of Lily's classmates instead of light grey. The house, unlike Rita's, was not littered with framed photos and other miscellaneous decorations. Instead, there was minimal furniture, and practically nothing hung on the walls. The only decoration was the rich sunlight flowing through the windows, highlighting each object.

Lily was unsure of what to do. Normally, she would receive a tight hug from her paternal grandparents and a myriad of kisses from Rita. Either she would join her nana in some activity, or she would help unload the luggage. None of that happened here.

Raven spoke, "It's nice to see you, Mother."

"You as well. Garfield, it's a pleasure to see you again,"

Garfield, caught in a bundle of nerves, answered quickly, "Oh! Yeah, you too!"

The crinkles around Arella's eyes formed as she warmly smiled at Lily. Lily couldn't help but fidget with her fingers under her grandmother's gaze. The older woman seemed to be analyzing her and taking note of every little detail she possessed. When she finally locked eyes with Lily, she beckoned the girl over with her pointer finger. Lily looked at her mother for approval before slowly walking to her grandmother. Hesitantly, Arella wrapped her arms around Lily while slowly breathing in.

"You've grown so much, Lily," she quietly noted, gingerly touching Lily's silky green hair. The faintest smell of sage reached Lily's nose. It was a nice smell. Arella approached her daughter.

"May I see the little one?" she tentatively asked. Raven adjusted her son so that they could get a good look at each other. Theo mirrored Arella's waving hand.

"Hi," he said.

"Hello," turning to his parents, she asked, "What's his name?"

"Theodore, but we call him Theo for short. He's two and Lily's seven," Garfield answered.

Arella paused, eyeing Raven's stomach.

"He is the youngest, correct?" she inquired.

Raven blushed.

"Yes, Mother. I only have two children."

Satisfied, Arella continued, "Okay, simply wondering. Please, come inside. I'm not sure what the children like to eat…"

Garfield nonchalantly waved his hand, "No biggie! Rae and I packed sandwiches and snacks, so you don't have to worry about them."

"You're welcome to begin placing your luggage in your respective rooms. I was unaware you two had a second child, but I can prepare a room for him and Lily."

Lily's ears perked up, and she urgently tugged on Raven's sleeve, "Can I sleep with you guys?"

Raven, understanding, faced her mother, "Don't worry about an extra room. We can all sleep in the same bed."

"Very well. Your room is down the hall and to the left."

Garfield moved to carry Theo. "I'll take the kids and start unpacking while you talk to your mom," he proposed. She gave a nod of approval and watched as they walked down the hall. The silence between Raven and Arella was thick, practically tangible. Raven could feel Arella's growing desire to ask questions. If anything, she had prepared herself for a barrage of questions, although her mother wasn't much of a talker.

"You have a lovely family, Raven."

"Thank you."

"Are you and Garfield planning on having more children?"

That was a blunt question. Raven stammered, "I sure _he_ wouldn't mind having one more. Gar is extremely family oriented, although I doubt he even realizes it."

"...and you?" Arella asked.

"As for myself...I don't think I want more children." Raven hoped her answer would suffice and not tempt more questions; however, Arella's confused face showed the opposite.

"Something's wrong, Mother. As much as I want to make this a simple family reunion, there are some pressing issues happening at home that I need your help with. Lily's beginning to hear voices...voices that I heard at a _much_ later age. Whatever they're saying to her is traumatizing, and I do not want her going through what I went through." Raven followed her mother to the couch.

"Lily has inherited your abilities?" Arella asked.

"Yes, although I believe Garfield's DNA muted a bit of what she did inherit." With a sigh, Raven continued, "This started about a week ago, but it escalated quickly. First, she had a breakdown while explaining to me what those voices were saying. Then, she couldn't stay at school because of a panic attack. On that same day, I tried teaching her how to meditate as a coping mechanism, but that only made matters worse," she sighed, "I had a vision while we were meditating. I saw three men with red skin and long, black ponytails. The vision was disturbing, to say the least. Those men, whoever they were, I know they're the ones talking to Lily.

"They want to use her, Arella. I know it. Garfield, the Titans, and I destroyed Trigon years ago, so we don't think it's him, but those men looked just like him. Mother," she hesitated, "do I have siblings?"

"You have none on my side," she assured, "but I'm almost certain Trigon had more children before you. During the short time that I knew him, he seldom ever talked about himself. Of course, I didn't truly know who he was at the time, but he did say that he had many lovers before me and that I should feel special knowing that he chose to stay with me." Raven visibly grimaced at her mother's words.

"When you were born, the people of Azarath feared what Trigon would do to their home. Not only were they terrified of you and your father, but his other offspring as well. It was confirmed that Trigon had sons of his own, but their whereabouts were always unknown. Azar, the Monks, and I never told you because we didn't want you to try to connect with them in any way."

Taken back from Arella's words, Raven cocked an eyebrow, "Connect with them?"

"Of course we knew you were lonely back then, so some of the monks were afraid that you would become familiar with your 'siblings' because of the lack of affection at home," Arella kept her gaze on the floor, too ashamed to look at her daughter, "Fortunately for us, they never tried to contact you. That is, until now…"

Raven processed the new information. If these "siblings" were such a threat to her wellbeing, why didn't Arella tell her the truth years ago? What else did she need to know? What else was Arella keeping secret? The pair was caught off-guard by the sound of a quiet cough. Garfield, sheepishly scratching his head, stood at the doorway.

"Sorry to interrupt, ladies. Lily stubbed her toe while chasing Theo and it looks pretty bruised. Do you think you can heal it?" he asked Raven.

"I'll be right there, tell her not to mess with it," she instructed and received a nod from her husband. Raven lifted herself up and headed towards the hallway before turning around to look at her mother. "I'm going to talk to Azar tomorrow morning, and I'll be taking Lily with me. We shouldn't be gone for long," she concluded. Arella could only watch as Raven left the room.

* * *

Thanks for reading :)

-MW


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